


Archenemies

by witteefool



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes and related fandoms
Genre: Gen, Post-Reichenbach, Sibling Rivalry, archenemy, caring is not an advantage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-20
Updated: 2012-02-20
Packaged: 2017-10-31 12:35:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/344121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witteefool/pseuds/witteefool
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mycroft recalls 5 times he hated his younger brother and 1 time he didn't at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Archenemies

**Author's Note:**

> Idea came from prompt at SherlockBBC-Fic but I can't find the original prompt. Sorry!
> 
> Written on a train quickly and with some distraction, but hopefully you'll enjoy it anyway!

I.

It is the day after Mycroft's birthday and Sherlock has received a set of lead soldiers in order to offset a tantrum regarding Mycroft getting all the attention on _his_ birthday. Mycroft has put up with a full day of being told to be kind to his immensely irritating brother and include him with the older boys at his party. When Mycroft returns from a day in the city with his Grandmother, bringing along a first edition A.A. Milne book, Sherlock displays his temper yet again and launches one of the toy soldiers at his older brother. It hits Mycroft's cheek and he loses his temper in turn. He stomps on the little lead men until they are all broken and warped.

He's sent to his room without dinner and spends an aggravating night listening to Sherlock's howling.

II.

Mycroft has turned thirteen and is told he can go to London alone on the train to visit his Uncle. But the chicken pox has been going around and Sherlock succumbs Thursday afternoon. By Friday evening the itchy red bumps have appeared on Mycroft as well and he is forced into an oatmeal bath.

He doesn't visit his Uncle at all that year. It is not until he's fifteen that he ever rides the train to London alone.

III.

Mycroft is returning home from his first semester at uni and is dreading the three weeks of family time. He had attempted to curtail his visit by going to a friend's home but a late, miserable conversation with Mummy the night before assures that he will be too guilty to attempt that.

Sherlock is sixteen and entirely uncontrollable. He's on his 3rd school in two years and has recently taken to playing hooky in order to roam the streets of London. Mummy blames this behavior on Father's death but Mycroft is not convinced.

When he reaches home and the two boys are coaxed into the living room for a "conversation," Mycroft is assured a perfectly abominable break. 

That week marks the first time that Sherlock takes up the task of both refusing to talk to his brother while openly antagonizing him.

IV.

Mycroft's salary is enough that he can afford a cab halfway across town to the hospital when Sherlock's first overdose occurs. Mummy is gone by that point (and Mycroft is grateful for that.) This makes him both Sherlock's emergency contact and next of kin.

The drive gives Mycroft a chance to think-- he knew this would occur sooner or later, despite his attempts to cut it off at the pass. But his younger brother is nothing if not stubborn. 

Mycroft always imagined that overdose cases left the patients drawn and tired, but somehow the Holmes' brothers manage an extremely active row all the same.

V.

A call to his brand new, top of the line mobile (a very new gadget at the time) reveals that Sherlock has finally pestered the pitiable DI enough to land Sherlock in the cells and he is too broke to afford bail himself. 

Mycroft is sure he can get this erased from the record afterwards (as he's done with Sherlock's previous three ASBOs) but it does call him away from the office during a rather tense negotiation, so Mycroft feels justified in keeping Sherlock locked up long enough to force him to listen to a lecture on his utter lack of responsibility.

He is left rather flummoxed when the DI calls him the following week, asking if he has Sherlock's home number, "for official police business."

VI.

Mycroft has secured a quiet, remote location for his younger brother by calling in a few favors. When Sherlock arrives at the door, shivering a bit after having spent a day visiting his own grave, Mycroft pulls him inside and leads him into the guest bedroom. He returns sometime later with a cup of Earl Grey and keeps his arm around Sherlock's shoulders as he attempts to silence his sobs. Mycroft hasn't heard his brother cry since he gave up learning to ride a bike at the age of thirteen (after a variety of scrapes and bruises convinced Sherlock this would not come as easily as everything else, which was simply unacceptable.) 

Mycroft pushes the cup of tea at Sherlock and watches him take a shaky slurp. It dawns on him that their shared history is not what has kept the brothers apart for so long and does not protest when Sherlock's head falls on his shoulder as his younger sibling succumbs to sleep.


End file.
